Leadership Development and Best Practices

by Caug124

July 28th, 2010

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The key to success in most industries, especially business, is leadership; being able to take charge of a situation, make decisions, and get the job done well and correctly. Without these skills you will quickly be left behind in the race up the corporate ladder. It is easy to look enviously at those who have been in the business for a while and assume that they were born with phenomenal leadership skills. On the contrary, while such skills do come easier to some than others, it takes years of training, practice, and experience to develop and sharpen these skills.

One way to begin developing those all important leadership skills is by taking leadership development seminars. These seminars focus on specific areas of leadership like communication, teamwork, public speaking, etc. Not only do they provide valuable insight and tips for developing and maintaining these skills, but they often include opportunities for hands-on experience, which allows you to practice what you have learned. Some companies, especially larger ones, offer this training to their employees as part of their benefits package. Even if your company doesn’t offer them, there are many opportunities to take them yourself.

Life is a teacher, so allow yourself to learn from experience. Begin volunteering for and taking on new leadership opportunities. It would be wise to start small and gradually work your way up to larger, more important responsibilities. Keep a record of what you have learned from each experience — what you would repeat and what you would do differently. If you have co-workers that you respect and trust you can ask for their feedback as well. After all, one of the qualities of being a good leader is also being a good communicator and being open to constructive criticism.

Developing good leadership skills can be a challenge; however it is well worth the effort. Even if you face failure at times, don’t give up. Every experience — success or failure — is helping to shape you into a strong and effective leader in the future.